Mandi celebrates Shivaratri with a seven-day Shivaratri Mela (fair). The majority of these Mandi temples are dedicated to Shiva, with the biggest ones being the Trilok Nath temple, Panchvaktra temple, and Bhootnath temple, where the centuries-old Shivratri Mela is conducted.
Though the entire city of Varanasi comes together to re-enact Shiva and Parvati’s wedding ceremony, the most important venue for offering prayers is the Tilbhandeshwar temple. This is one of the few sites in India where people dance in processions after consuming bhaang.
The Umananda Temple hosts one of India’s largest Mahashivratri celebrations. Thousands of people from the northeast travel to Guwahati just to see the huge event.
Devotees; numbering in the millions, meet up ahead of Mahashivratri at Haridwar and take a plunge in the holy Ganga. It is thought to wash away their wrongdoings or sins; followed by the grand aarti and thanksgiving.
Mahashivratri is Khajuraho’s most important celebration. The chief priest’s son performs the ceremonial puja at the Kandariya Mahadeo temple throughout the night, where certain rituals are conducted on the 2.5-metre-high Lingam, accompanied by chanting until the very end.
Mahashivaratri is grandly observed in Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar Temple, one of the 12 jyotirlingas. The festival is held in the Mahakal forest in Madhya Pradesh, on the banks of the river Kshipra.
Puri’s Mahashivratri celebrations take place at the renowned Loknath temple. Lord Rama himself placed the lingam in the temple where it now stands. This lingam is always submerged in a vat of water and can only be seen on Pankodar Ekadashi, three days before Mahashivratri, when the water is lifted.
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Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Temple attracts a large audience from all over the country to celebrate Mahashivratri in its home. Devotees believe that Lord Shiva married Parvati on this day and also conducted the tandava, asking them to fast and chant mantras in his honour.
Tens of thousands of worshippers visit Murdeshwar each year on Mahashivaratri to celebrate Shiva and Parvati’s nuptials. During Mahashivaratri, this picturesque hamlet becomes a major centre of religious activities in Karnataka.
Sadhguru, an Indian yogi and author, created the Isha Yoga Center. Sadhguru erected a 112-foot-tall steel statue of Shiva, which is the world’s largest burst sculpture. Visitors can immerse themselves in Sadhguru’s Satsang, which lasts all night.
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